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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Nik Aziz Nik Mat - Pakatan Rakyat's Optimus Prime?

Nik Aziz regrets media obsession in sodomy case - that was the headline in Malaysiakini yesterday.

Pak Haji Nik Aziz, the MB of Kelantan, has urged the media to stop highlighting the alleged sodomy case involving Anwar Ibrahim. He said they were unwittingly humiliating Anwar even though he has not been charged yet nor proven guilty

I agree with him that we Malaysians have an unhealthy obsession with the salacious, whether it’s the MSM digging it into Anwar and his alleged sodomy, or the alternative media, the blogosphere, giving free rein to insinuations, and even Statutory Declarations against Najib.

In the latter, the murder case of the Mongolian woman, Altantuyaa Shariibuu, despite the fact that there are already two accused undergoing trial for her murder with a third and high profile person being accessory to the crime, these haven’t satisfied a certain camp, or rather its political agenda.

No, not until Najib is implicated, and mind you, not just implicated as an accessory to the crime, but preferably as the principal suspect.

And if he can’t be directly dragged in, then he must be implicated through the alleged or ‘surat-layang-ish’ involvement of his wife as the mastermind behind Altantuyaa’s murder.

I believe the ‘long bow-ish’ attempt to join the rather haphazard dots of circumstantial evidence until they lead towards Najib has been and still is politically motivated, and certainly pushed by a certain segment of politics.

I find the above no different to the condemnation of Anwar’s sodomy allegation by the Anwar camp.

Pity Pak Haji didn’t raise this as well.

Anyway, bugger (sorry, pun not intended) all the above, because this post is about Pak Haji.

Mark my word, this man is now the only one who can hold the Pakatan Rakyat together, hopefully until the next general election.

Certainly Anwar Ibrahim was the man who first brought the three ideologically-diverse parties of the Pakatan Rakyat together pre and immediately post 08 March 2008 general elections, but in this role, he has passed his ‘use by’ date.

A major problem contributing to his diminished status as the principal cohesive force for the three parties has been his obsession with the destabilisation of the AAB government, when he should have been focusing instead on building up one solid component of the two-party system everyone has been hoping for, and even believed has arrived.

Alas, far from it!

I have already explained my belief on why Anwar Ibrahim has been ‘destabilising’ the government – principally to threaten and pressure UMNO (even with frogs and lots of other ‘kacau’) until (he hopes) the old party recalls/invites him back into the UMNO fold.

Besides, the strength of the PKR is not what he likes or even feels comfy with – the formation of the Selangor exco exemplifies his dilemma.

Thus, I reckon Anwar hasn’t really been interested in a permanent tenure in Pakatan Rakyat, which may explain why he didn’t/couldn’t be bothered with building up the opposition parliamentary strength and know-how. He’s the one (probably the only one) in PR with the experience of governing at federal level, yet he has not bothered to even form a shadow cabinet.

Since 09 March 2008, he has indulged in nothing except an unending campaign of destabilising the Malaysian government, hogging the limelight with his antics and his boasts of seizing government, until he must have pissed off the other PAS bigwig, Pak Haji Hadi Awang.

Pak Haji Hadi Awang isn’t the sort of bloke who is prepared to play second fiddle to a man like Anwar Ibrahim who has been running around loose with his actions as if he has an open Pakatan cheque book and the imprimatur to use it as and when he likes, without the need to consult PAS or DAP.

The DAP has played along with Anwar’s personal agenda, seemingly like an indulgent brother, because it knows it still needs PKR support if it is to continue to have a role in State governments. Even the rule of Penang is dependent on the support of a couple of PKR ADUNs because DAP has only a total of 19 ADUNS in the State.

But PAS is a different mob. And Pak Haji Awang has a strong nationalistic streak too.

Hadi Awang believes it’s more preferable for PAS to play footsies with UMNO – after all, both are Malay-Muslim parties, and to some, there is no difference between a Malay and a Muslim, or a Muslim and a Malay. Besides the DAP is a socialist secular and thus satanic party. A case of agama dan bangsa.

There have already been extensive talks between PAS (the Hadi Awang faction) and UMNO, and if those bear fruits, then even Anwar Ibrahim can’t prevent the disintegration of the Pakatan Rakyat, with Selangor and Perak as the first two Pakatan-ruled States to go to the proposed BN-PAS pact.

But Pak Haji Nik Aziz will have no bar of UMNO. He had exclaimed succinctly what he thought of PAS working with UMNO (words to this effect, that): “Surely no one is so stupid as to be bitten twice by a snake from the same hole?”

Though PAS is a political party which sometimes can’t make up its mind as to whether it’s an Islamic Party or a nationalistic (Malay) party, Pak Haji Nik Aziz alone has the prestige, power, position and personality to impose his political preference, including working with other opposition parties (inclusive of the secular DAP), on PAS members …

… which is why I believe he is the only man to hold the Pakatan Rakyat together. I hope he does.

13 comments:

  1. Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohamad Fairus Khairudin said Umno should also be inviting PKR's Malay leaders, besides those from PAS, on Malay issues and Islam.

    The UMNO rejects in PKR ( UMNO 2 ) will eventually go back to their mother party.
    The non malay party member in PKR will be left dry and high.

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  2. I know quite a fair number of PAS grass roots people. My immediate neighbourhood is mostly PAS, though the Parliament seat is held by PKR.
    And I'm a DAP guy - hell of a complicated, huh ? Right now, I would say all 3 groups get along reasonably OK.

    What I can say is, if the PAS people I know are an indication, if the leadership goes to link up with UMNO, they will lose most of their base support. Political Hara-Kiri.

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  3. who would have thought we'd come to a day where our hope in holding together the opposition lies in a man whose previous staunch religious-political views have sparked outrage and disbelief? I hope the other opposition component will realize it too - that Anwar is just paying them lip-service and all that he's been doing been pointing to his true intention of rejoining UMNO, to really consolidate his power once and for all for the top post.

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  4. Aiyoyo Ktemoc,
    Breakfast Anwar, Lunch Anwar, Tea Break Anwar, Dinner Anwar, Supper Anwar.

    I suppose, from Ktemoc's point of view it is absolutely important and vital to neutralise Anwar at this point in time.

    Anything short of Iron-Iron-Clad evidence and totally kosher procedure in the investigation and trial, and its Bye-Bye Barisan Nasional...and Darth Vader becomes PM...

    My friend was at the Anwar ceramah in Cheng, Melaka on Friday. You should have seen the size of the crowd. And This is in the heart of BN territory, MCA has held the seat for 50 years.

    If majority of the Malays don't trust the government, the Chinese don't trust, the Indians - no need to say- 75% are Hindraf sympathisers.-
    ayoyo...UMNO may end up having to resort to the army to stay in power.

    Ktemoc, you have an uphill task ahead of you...my sympathies...

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  5. 1. Apparently, Anwar Ibrahim said this in Kuantan recently:

    "Instead of managing the economy, they're managing people's private parts."

    2. As the full effects of the drastic hike in petrol and diesel prices (without compensating anti-inflation and anti-poverty programmes) kick in, we'll see more incompetent (mis)management of the Malaysian economy. Ordinary people will only get more and more hurt and more and more upset.
    AAB -- Bapa Inflasi?

    Phua Kai Lit

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  6. Pak Haji Nik Aziz, the MB of Kelantan, has urged the media to stop highlighting the alleged sodomy case involving Anwar Ibrahim. He said they were unwittingly humiliating Anwar even though he has not been charged yet nor proven guilty.

    KT, being the hypocrite that he is, cannot see that this is also an appropriate comment for his blog.

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  7. Nik Aziz also once said he is against party hopping. But he later changed his position about that didn't he? Perhaps he would change his position about this too.

    It seems fitting that Nik Aziz is so against any mutual affection with UMNO - he was there the last time PAS went down that route, and where they were subsequently badly routed, left just barely alive.

    But I don't think Niz Aziz really has as much influence as you suggest. He is old, about to retire, his successor (as MB) was even an election issue, and PAS is not such a "centralized" party like PKR - in that respect they are actually a bit more like DAP.

    I don't think it's unrealistic to expect PAS to splinter into two groups. The most closely watched bunch will of course be in Perak because that is where the stakes are highest.

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  8. I'd say KT's point of view is getting somewhat too close to the navel or hovering somewhere around there. (Or is it too much of the trees to see the forest?). We are closely watching a huge political game-play and depending on who wins in the end, this country's future will be influenced greatly. Will we see more out-going brains after this or will those contemplating migration think twice? Or will we keep sinking to the level of another Zimbabwe or Myanmar? It's ok to be objective about the objectives of Anwar. But let's not paint too dirty a picture of him while we hope to see some feeble signs of the incumbent govt's genuine improvement of the systems which we surely have much to complain about. Or are they still illusions? We surely hope to see better days and we wouldn't want to be disappointed, but do we have to be prepared for more bad news before it can get any better?

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  9. anon 9.56AM,

    Anwar said "Instead of managing the economy, they're managing people's private parts."

    I say, the economy uncertainty is Anwar doing because he is managing people ass hole.

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  10. LC Teh :-
    "I'd say KT's point of view is getting somewhat too close to the navel or hovering somewhere around there." You are too kinf.

    I'd say Ktemoc's point of view is getting rather close to the anus...

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  11. '"I'd say KT's point of view is getting somewhat too close to the navel or hovering somewhere around there." You are too kinf.

    I'd say Ktemoc's point of view is getting rather close to the anus...' You're still too kind.

    I'd say, KT's point of view is not only getting "rather close" to the anus, but deeply, and suffocatingly, buried inside it.

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  12. Everything is now an opportunity for KT to blast Anwar. It doesn't matter if its way off tangent or double standards need to be applied.

    It must really hurt when a political giant like Dr.Tan decides to join KeADILan instead of DAP.

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  13. Anwar hanya menggunakan PAS dan DAP untuk perjuangan politiknya. Kesian PAS dan DAP. Pakatan yang semakin yang semakin rapuh itu hanya menunggu masa untuk berpecah, kerana faham politik yang betul2 berbeza. Anwar tidak boleh dipercayai!

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